The first few posts here will be other directions I nearly took the story in. When I first started bouncing this story around I was out on a run and played with the idea of Edward coming back. Only this time, Bella was very aware of how dangerous he could be, and Edward had lost his tight grip on... everything. He was a vampire with nothing to lose. As I kept running, this story changed into something very different. I never ended up writing the first, dangerous, Edward.

In an earlier draft, Bella had asked Edward to leave for a little bit while she left Mike. Edward had complied and then wasn't sure whether Bella had chosen him. His family was even less sure. This scene was actually one of the first I wrote:

Mike has just left, and Bella is working alone. Bella has left the door open and is working in the back. As dealing with vampires has left her brave, she interrupts a robbery. Bella is shot, and in that moment, Alice can finally see Bella. She sees that she will die and sends Rose after her.

"Shit, Bella. Just… shit. Bella, there's so much blood."

"I'm sorry. I understand... You can go."

Rosalie gets a text from Alice.

"Let's ask Alice if I live." Rose presses her lips together and looks down, her head slowly moving from side to side.

"Oh. Oh, God. Oh, Rose, I don't want to die. I don't. Please. Please, Rose. Please." Panic sets in.

"You know I can't… Won't. I won't condemn you to this life. We believe ‒ I believe ‒ there's something more after this for you. Something that's not for us. Not anymore."

"Just be with me then. Can you be with me?" Rose nods and holds her hand. "I won't even mind if you slip up."

"Bella stop joking about this."

"Sorry, Rose, but you gotta admit… Did you ever think... think it would come to this? You'd be the one to hold my hand while I die?" Rose is trying to stop the bleeding, but Bella's fading.

"Bella, you need to stop. Fuck. Why can't Carlisle be here? I don't know what to fucking do. All that time… Why didn't I get a fucking medical degree?"

"Rose, stop. You can stop. Alice saw it, saw me. You can't... change the... the... outcome. Will you do something for me, though? I need you to do this."

"Don't ask me that. I don't want to have to say no."

"Not that, Rose. I need you to tell Mike... Tell him I love him, that I thought of nothing but... him 'till the very end."

Rose nods, knowing she would. She also knew it would be the final nail in her brother's coffin, but she would do this for Bella.

"One more... One more thing, Rose." Despite Rose's vampire hearing, she leans toward Bella. It's a human thing to do, despite the not-so-human need to close off her sense of smell in order to be so near.

"You need to tell your brother... Tell Edward... I... I gave him my heart... my soul... the moment I met him. Tell him he took them that day in the woods. He took them, and I had no heart to give to Mike. I could think I loved him. I could say I loved him. But I didn't have the capacity to love him like Edward... Let him know that... know he has... has my love always... in him. He took that. But it's okay now. It's okay, because I don't need it now. He needs it. He has my soul, so it's okay. He's got a soul now. Make sure he reads the letter."

In that very moment, Rose doesn't know if it's Bella's confession that drives her actions, merely the overwhelming assault of Bella's blood on her olfactory system, the feel of it as it pours over her hands, or the slight splatter of it on her cheek as Bella coughs out her final words.

Rose doesn't think why.

Rose just slips.

Rose runs the body back to the house, and Emmet and Alice help stage the scene, destroy the video evidence, and chase the thief who's left in Bella's car. It's his body that they find in the burnt-out car on the reserve. The wolf pack meets them at the border and helps. They agree to Bella's change and set up finding her body.

Carlisle tends to Bella upstairs. Rose freezes in the living room when she hears Edward's car pull up. Instantly, he's in the house, opening the door so hard it breaks.

"Rose!" he bellows. Suddenly, he's in front of her. Rose is willing to take whatever punishment Edward is going to dole out. She knows she's betrayed his wishes. Instead, he gathers her in his arms. "Thank you," he repeats over and over, falling to his knees and sobbing tearlessly in her arms.